With the depletion of ICANN/IANA pool and the impending depletion of the AfriNIC pool, ISPs will soon be faced with the tough reality of IPv4 address scarcity. Some studies indicate that there is a lot of IPv4 that has been allocated but is not used or routed. .

2.) Summary of How this Proposal Addresses the Problem Above

This proposal attempts to find a way to free this allocated but un-routed space so that it can be issued to ISPs that have a real use for it.

3.) The Proposal

The following will apply to all IPv4 allocations issued before policy is implemented:

3.1) IPv4 allocations distributed by AfriNIC to the ISP must be seen in the routing table within 90 days of getting the addresses.

3.2) AfriNIC must issue three(3) seven(7)-day interval warnings to the ISP that is in violation of 3.1 after the 90th day of getting the IPv4 allocation.

3.3) AfriNIC must regain the IPv4 allocation from the ISP seven(7) days after the last warning. The IPv4 space can be given to another ISP by AfriNIC when appropriate.

The following will apply to all IPv4 issued after the policy is implemented:

3.4) IPv4 distributed by AfriNIC to the ISP must be seen in the routing table within thirty (30) days of getting the addresses.

3.5) AfriNIC must issue two seven(7)-day interval warnings to the member that is in violation of 3.4 after the 30th day of getting the IPv4 allocation.

3.6) AfriNIC must regain the IPv4 from the ISP seven(7) days after the last warning. The IPv4 can be given to another ISP by AfriNIC when appropriate.

4.) Summary

While this proposal will not significantly extend the lifetime of IPv4, it will ensure that unused IPv4 is righfully utilized and not hoarded by those ISPs that have no use for it.

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